First post in a long time - .303 Reloading related.

Hello, It has been a while.

Some time ago I bought .303 brass from several different vendors, probably have about 250-300 cases now. I have some 174 grain round nose projectiles, and a very small quantity of 160 spire, flat base projectiles. What I really want, and I am sure others do too, is a source for 174 gr flat base, spire points.

Does anyone know of a source for .311 or .312 projectiles meeting those specs?

Excuse me while I spend the next several hours perusing the threads from the last year. :)

About the closest thing out there currently are the Sierra 180gr PSP bullets. Not a bad bullet at all.

Might help to know what you intend to use them for I shoot Military Rifle Club competitions here in Aus and find the Hornady 174gn FMJ/BT the best accuracy wise FWIW

Mainly for target shooting. Not planning on hunting with a .303, although I did years ago. My understanding is that the spire point, flat bottom 174 projectile was a component of the mark II ammunition. Also been said that the British rifle shoots best with a flat bottom bullet, rather than a boat tail.

Anyway, hope I get some replies from some of the Lee Enfield folks since the move over here to Reloading land.

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Originally Posted by STG-98

Anyway, hope I get some replies from some of the Lee Enfield folks since the move over here to Reloading land.

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By the way guys, moving threads isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Your thread is more appropriate to this thread and Enfield members who do reload will read it here, besides expert re-loaders of all kinds.

When a thread gets moved, it leaves a permanent trailing link in the originating forum where it came from. So, it's effectively the same as making a duplicate copy of the same post in another forum, which actually gives more members the opportunity to view and interact with it, posting in the single thread resulting from the move. It's like leaving a bookmark in the current forum for reference, which everyone will see and the when clicked on, it takes them to the full thread view.

I often use a thread move or thread copy to show content that has interesting value across multiple forum topics. If you are posting a thread that you'd like to see viewed across two forums at the same time, simply let a moderator know and they'll set up the move and flag for you. :)

Regards,
Doug

I had problems with keyholing and wide patterns when I first got my no 1 mk III . I tried all kinds of bullets - boat tails, spire points, even cast round-nosed. I finally settled on the Hornady 3130 174 gn RN. It was mostly due to the amount of throat erosion by corrosive ammo. Coming in second was 180 gn spitzer flat base seated in only as needed to fit in magazine.
Great gun to shoot and a lot of fun.
Happy shooting!
B

Buntline,
I have some of the 174 Gn RN projectiles, and plan to use them later. Also loaded some 180 Gn spire flat base a while back. Don't want to sound anal about it, but will persist in my search for 174 SP FB bullets. Was going back through Skennerton the other day and looking at the data for MVII (?) ammo. The original ammo characteristic to a rifle is always of interest to me for some odd reason.

Also, I know some folks seem to dismiss the benefits of the flat versus boat tail. Not sure I can do that without comparing apples to apples. I have some 174 Gn BTs. Don't have hard data or total recall of range trips, but seem to remember their performance was Ok out of No4 and not so much per No 1 Mk III rifle.

Any other info from those who have used 174 flat base bullets versus BT would be welcome, but as I may have mentioned, I would really like to know a source for some 174 SP FB. :help:

Badger,
Did not mean a strike against the moderation, just hoping that .303 folks would be looking here too. You are probably right, that reloading belongs in reloading...

Thanks everyone

Apart from the Hornady projectiles I mentioned above which are accurate as the closest to the original MKVII projs I have found are made here in Australia by WOODLEIGH .312 174gn cat number 68A

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Originally Posted by STG-98

Any other info from those who have used 174 flat base bullets versus BT would be welcome

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My No. 4 MK2 takes both.
The No 1s, MKIII and V, both insist on a flat-base, and if they don't get it, they go all moody and start chucking the bullets around. With the right diet of FB, they can manage a 2" wide group at 100 meters. As to the height of the group, that's a problem of eyeballs and bedding - I haven't quite got the answer yet. All of these rifles have "as new, ex-arsenal" barrels - or at least, they did when I purchased them. I suspect that if you dig around the Enfield site long enough you might discover that the forcing cone/transition or whatchacallit was tightened up on the No. 4.

Aussie,

I just ordered 100 of the Woodleigh bullets from a US retailer. The protected point is a new twist for me. The item sounds about as close as I am going to find these days. Read some posts about the Woodleigh family and factory history a while back. Thought they were not in business anymore.

Thanks!

No STG they are still in business and it is booming, as you would be aware 303 British reloading gear is getting harder to source nowadays. The man who is no longer in business is Mr Bone of the Taipan projectile fame, I still have 500 odd left and am going to slash my wrists the day the last of those goes down the barrel.
The PP protected point is a good idea if you look at them the outer jacket comes to a hollow point, the lead core comes up flush to the rim of the jacket which saves the soft core from damage as it's fed into the breech.
I get them for $33 (aus) a box of 50, not sure what the law is your end but if you need any and they are expensive over there can post some over for you.

Righto, it was Taipan that is no longer. The Woodleighs were not all that unreasonable. The Woodleighs ran $33.49 US for 50. I ordered 100, which should last me for this season and into next. Thanks, Aussie, for the shipping offer. I think I am covered for now

There is also a 215 RN grain flat base out there. I may post this question back in the LE forum, but wondering if anyone shoots those out of vintage LEs? Blackpowder even? Maybe save that one for another thread.

Unbelievable, they have to ship them to the States and still work out cheaper than here at home. They are usually around $60 a box of 50 here but have a dealer mate who gets them for me for the cost to him.